2012 NFL Draft Post-Combine Big Board

Benches have been pressed. Forties have been run. Wonderlics have been passed and failed. The NFL draft process is long and hard, and it's coming to an end.

Once the NFL Scouting Combine has passed, NFL teams dig in to adjust their big boards and start preparing for two months of pro days and private workouts. We're doing the same at Bleacher Report, as our big boards are updated to reflect changes at the combine.

Quarterbacks

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Quarterback rankings used to be "Andrew Luck...then everyone else." Now it's "Luck, RG3 and everyone else."

While Mr. Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III hasn't surpassed Luck yet, he's closing the gap considerably. Perhaps, the most important race isn't for the top quarterback spot, but for the right to be drafted third.

Many scouts have Ryan Tannehill as the No. 3 quarterback coming off the board, but at Bleacher Report, Kirk Cousins has earned the right to be No. 3.

Running Backs

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The 2012 draft class features three running backs who grade out high enough to warrant a first-round ranking. If three are actually drafted in the first 32 picks is a different story, but the talent is there.

Among the most interesting second-tier players is Doug Martin from Boise State. A powerful, squat runner with inside vision, Martin could be a second-round pick who becomes a consistent 1,000-yard rusher.

Wide Receivers

The wide receiver class from 2012 features as many as seven players who could see themselves drafted in the first round.

The highlights of the class are the well-known players—Alshon Jeffery, Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd—but the second half of the future first-rounders are just as talented.

A few names to point out as potential sleepers. Joe Adams from Arkansas, A.J. Jenkins from Illinois, Jarius Wright from Arkansas and Devon Wylie from Fresno State are all intriguing options outside the second round as players who could have very solid careers.

Tight Ends

The tight end position is once again en vogue thanks to talented athletes like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham furthering what Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates started.

Who will be next?

Orson Charles stands out as an elite athlete who doubles as a muscle-bound pass catcher. Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen fit the mold of a classic in-line blocker, both ready to start in the NFL right now.

One name to keep an eye on is Ladarius Green. He's a special athlete with the size to be a factor in the red zone.

Guards

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

My first gig as a draft writer came in 2001, fresh out of high school and ambitious as hell. I wrote for nfldraftblitz.com and covered the San Francisco 49ers—working up a draft board and team needs for them. Since then, no offensive guard has been ranked as high as David DeCastro.

Alan Faneca was a great prospect from what I hear, but in 1998, I wasn't covering the draft. Steve Hutchinson, another all-time great prospect from the 2001 draft, didn't receive as high of a grade.

DeCastro is truly elite, trumping the other solid talent at the position.

Centers

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Peter Konz rates as the only first or second-round prospect at the center position. Teams needing help on the inside will look to Konz or free agency for a quick fix.

Konz is a rare talent, with the size and strength to play guard and then football IQ to be a captain in the middle of the line. Outside of the Wisconsin product, Philip Blake (Baylor) is a prospect worth keeping an eye on as a late-round steal.

4-3 Defensive End

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

The defensive end rankings have seen a major shift this season. Quinton Coples and Donte Paige-Moss opened the year as favorites, but poor play and major character questions from DPM had the top of the order in flux.

Along came Nick Perry, whose athleticism and violent-style off the edge moved him to the top of the list. Coples, Melvin Ingram and others round out a solid position group that could see as many as six first-rounders.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Eric Francis/Getty Images

The 3-4 defense is now used, in some form or another, by over half the teams in the NFL. As the popularity spreads, new teams are finding needs for thick-bodied defenders to line up over the tackle in their three-man front.

The 2012 class will not disappoint teams looking for an answer at the 5-technique position. As many as four defensive ends could be selected in the first round, with two more topping out the top of the second round.

Nose Tackles

Teams running a 3-4 defense live and die by the ability of their nose tackles to draw double teams to free up the linebackers to make plays. A bad nose tackle will shut down even the most talented rosters.

Dontari Poe made waves at the combine with svelte moves for a big man—good enough that he's now being considered a top-10 pick.

Mike Martin may not have the name recognition of Poe, but if drafted in the second round, he has the talent to shock a fanbase with All-Pro level play.

Inside Linebackers

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The inside linebacker position will see more attention this season after solid, season-changing play from Patrick Willis and NaVarro Bowman in San Francisco. As teams try to replicate the 49ers defense, expect a run on inside linebackers.

One player who has seen his stock tumble is Arizona State inside linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The violent hitter is too much of a wild card on the field and in the locker room for NFL teams to trust as the defensive captain.